The Future of the NFL as a Worldwide Sport

Denver Broncos Sale

marcin nowak

A little over two weeks ago, the Pat Bowlen Trust announced that the Denver Broncos are officially up for sale and with that will likely have the biggest price tag in the history of sport in North America.

The Broncos are currently valued at just under $4 billion USD, making it truly a massive sale when the time comes. According to Broncos CEO Joe Ellis, “The Pat Bowlen Trust announced today the beginning of a sale process for the Denver Broncos. We have retained Steve Greenberg of Allen & Company as our financial advisor and Joe Leccese of Prosauker Rose LLP as our legal advisor for this transition of ownership.”

Furthermore, Ellis said that “Selling an NFL team is a complex process involving numerous parties and league approval procedures. Nonetheless, the trustees hope to have the sale completed by the start of the 2022 NFL season.”

Now from one side, this looks like it could be a pretty straightforward deal to a large conglomerate or investor interested in the United States football scene. But no no no, this can be MUCH BIGGER than what everyone thinks.

According to La Marca, English Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur is aiming to continue their ties with the NFL in Europe by placing a MASSIVE bid to host Superbowl MMXXVI (2026). The Spurs already have a 10-year deal with the NFL to host 2 games at the Tottenham Stadium each year and now looking to increase that relationship by hosting the biggest football event of the year. Even the NGL is considering the possibility of taking the Superbowl outside the United States.

Whether or not fans would fly all the way to London, England to watch their teams compete is a different question. Fans probably won’t be too happy, especially since traveling within the US for games is much easier than flying across the Atlantic. However, globalizing the popular North American sport could be perfect for the future growth of the NFL, especially after difficult times in the sports industry throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic.

But this alone isn’t the only thing. In recent years, we’ve seen popular sports organizations expand their portfolio into other leagues and sports. Red Bull own RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, RB Salzburg in Austria, and RB New York in the MLS. In Canada, we’ve recently seen Atletico Madrid from La Liga Santander purchase the Canadian Premier League’s first expansion team: Atletico Ottawa.

We can only imagine the possibility of a European giant like Red Bull or Manchester City owners purchasing the Denver Broncos and re-branding the organization. In the next few years, we could see RB Denver as the next NFL team, and the first branded as part of a European-based organization.

Adding it all together: Denver is up for sale, the Superbowl could be going to Europe, Organizations in European sport are globalizing…. Maybe it's time we see a new team in the NFL, in an NFL that spans across the globe.

Published: February 18, 2022 - Issue 27 of The Sport Marketeer